Maybe I was jumping to conclusions. This was a fantasy world after all. The Lightning Boar might be friendly, it might even talk to me. We could be besties!

  “Um hello there, Mr. Boar. I’m a friendly creature just like you!” I said.

  I held up my hands and gave the most gentle wave I could muster. I hoped my claws didn’t freak it out.

  The Lightning Boar let out a ragged breath and jets of steam shot out its nostrils. It continued to stare at me with glowing yellow eyes. It looked pissed. The moment dragged – only interrupted by a loud crackle from the electricity around its tusks.

  Then it charged straight through the stream towards me.

  I screeched and jumped, letting it run under me. I let my instincts guide me. Frankly the opposite approach compared to my last life.

  I heard a loud thud as the Lightning Boar collided with a tree, causing a flurry of leaves to fall. I swiveled mid air, and landed on all fours. I’m hella agile! Now we were head to head, with about 10 feet between us. The lightning arced wildly between the boar’s tusks before forming a small ball of bright energy. It exploded like a magical flashbang grenade and blinded me, completely blowing out my sensitive darkvision.

  I screamed and wiped my eyes. A few seconds later the boar crashed into my torso.

  Something internal cracked. The force of the hit tossed me backwards and face first into the mud.

  My head span and my ribs were aching like they’d been hit by a hammer. I was lucky that my scales had protected me. Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, but I couldn’t pass out. If I passed out now I was dead!

  I spat out mud and climbed to my feet. The boar wasn’t taking any chances, it was already preparing another blinding bolt for me. There was another bright flash, but I was ready and used my arm to shield my eyes. When it was safe to look, I saw the boar charging –it wouldn’t let up.

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  I jumped again. This time I dragged my talons alongside its back, scraping it from head to tail. Two huge gashes opened and it toppled over mid run. I leapt on top of it. I was a whirlwind of teeth, claws, and talons. Afterwards all that remained was a very gory carcass.

  I exhaled and fell away from the corpse, clutching my side. It hurt so bad. There’s no hospitals here…what would I do? Just deal with it. I mean, what choice did I have? As I laid on the ground, staring up at the moons, my exhaustion began fading away. The pain started to disappear too. Did I just level up!? Like a TTRPG!? Is this something everything can do, or only my species?

  I had so many questions. But first, I had to get this boar somewhere safe enough to eat uninterrupted. If this world had Lightning Boars there had to be other, way scarier, things out there too. Monsters would be attracted to the blood that my little outburst had created. Oops.

  I dragged half the boar behind me as I walked in the direction of my cave. The wind felt so great on my scales. And I let my long hair run over my claws as I walked, examining it. Having long hair was wonderful. I’d have to visit the stream again to wash it. The scales on my belly and chest were a little cracked as well. Was I going to molt and get new ones? Not exactly the female experience I expected.

  Whatever, lizard girls are valid too.

  Wait a second. I looked around, noticing that a lot of the trees here had long golden moss hanging off them like tacky bridal gowns. And I didn’t remember any of these purple sunflowers. I was lost.

  The sky was starting to brighten now…I was exhausted, hungry, and dirty. I sat down, legs crossed. I needed to remember where my cave was, before I became more lost.

  I was interrupted when a dark shadow in the canopy flashed across my periphery. An ear piercing screech echoed across the forest and a monstrous bat swooped towards my dinner! Its huge fangs gleamed in the moonlight and its talons were ready to snatch the boar.

  “Fuck off!” I screamed. After my –very understandable and justified– expletive I felt a strange organ tense in my throat. Then a spray of bright violet energy streamed out my open mouth and engulfed the bat. The energy blasted it into a pile of glowing dust. What didn’t hit the bat dissolved all the vegetation behind it.

  Since when could I breathe fire?! Or not fire. I’ll call it Arcane Breath for now. It might be a new ability, or It might be something I could do the whole time. Didn’t matter, I was just happy I saved my dinner.

  I was still lost though…then I spotted something unusual. A metal trap door with a small handle. It had been hidden by a carpet of thick vines. Vegetation that my arcane breath had dissolved, while leaving the door intact.

  I tried to open it, almost hoping that it was locked. It creaked open, revealing stone stairs leading down into the dark earth. Welp. I grabbed my dinner and started descending.